Showing (off) your Roon setup - description and photos [2015-04 .. 2021-03]

Yeah, but do you really want to be disturbed when listening to your music? :slight_smile:

That shows my age. :joy: I left in 84.

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I know people are critical of Kevin D.'s self promotion, but honestly, he is pretty funny especially when discussing his wife and their differences. I like his explanation of circuits. I also liked when he asked what is the greatest rock and roll song. It was exactly what I would have said…hmmm, guess that does not make him “right” but it was interesting.

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After my listening really dropped off last year or two (consequence of the new normal with 2 kids!), one of the benefits of this working-from-home has led to a big increase in my listening. Signed up for a great $4/4mo Tidal offer which has brought a nice infusion of new music (otherwise big FLAC/Hi-Res collection), and listening a couple hours a day now.

Equipment:

  • Source: 2016 13" MBP
  • DAC / Amp: Schiit Jotunheim (non-multibit, with dual-AK4490 chips)
  • Headphones: MrSpeakers Ether-C Flow v1.1 (now Dan Clark Audio)

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Dang it I just ordered some of the 12AU7s

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I had exactly the same experience after many years of following the placement theory & practice.

Massive soundstage & detail, long term bass problems resolved, for free :slight_smile:

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Oh man, that looks great!

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My home office system, current iteration.

Vinyl: Thorens TD-126 and TD-150 into a PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp

Digital/Streaming: Mac Mini Roon Core > Mac Mini Roon Bridge > HQPlayer > Matrix X-SPIDF 2 > TEAC UD-501 DAC; Onkyo SACD player

Integrated: Myryad MI-120 (found on Craigslist super cheap a couple of months ago). Normal integrated is an Audiolab 8000A, which I’ll swap back in at some point.

FM tuner: Sony Digital HD tuner (um, I admit I NEVER use this)

Speakers: Focal Aria 906

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Interesting that you use use two MacMinis, one for core and one for bridge - have you noticed a noise reduction or other increase in SQ doing it that way?

Thanks, since the rearrangements I have a projector & screen facing the wrong way, more expense :grin:

They’re basically decommissioned from my business, so I’m just putting them to good use.

I have three different systems, and each one has a mini with hqplayer as a headless bridge. These just happen to be sitting together. (I have a few other rooms with powered speakers, too, and I use Chromecast audio for those instead of a mini bridge.)

I can’t really say SQ/noise is better with individual bridges, but it sounds great and lets me run hqplayer on each.

Yesterday I did remove the Matrix to test, and go straight into the TEAC via USB, playing with HQPlayer and sample rate conversion to DSD within Roon.

I can’t discern the difference, but again, it sounds great.

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Ah, Myryad. IMHO a very underrated brand. I still have a Myryad MXD4000 = good 2ch and 7.1 digital pre-amp processor with HDMI. IMHO it sounded better than a Tag McLaren AV32R in 2 channel, not by much but surprisingly it was there (better DACs I think!)

Interesting you removed the Matrix X-SPIDF 2 with no discernible difference.

Thank you,

If i was a vulnerable millennial, i could easily take offence at that remark, please withdraw it or i shall have to call you out sir…

I drive myself nuts with these comparisons. My audio memory is feeble, so I would LOVE the ability to do some kind of immediate switching. But after futzing with cables (and then futzing with HQplayer to point to the new output and select DSD and then into Roon to play with the conversion, etc…), I can’t really tell if there’s much difference.

Looking at the details of the TEAC DAC, it does have Asynchronous Transfer Mode…

Transfer timing is controlled by more accurately by ignoring the clock signal from a PC, nearly eliminating clock-noise and allowing digital data to travel un-affected.

So, it might be that the Matrix is unnecessary, and the TEAC is doing what the Matrix would do to decrapify the USB noise.

Now, the one thing I will say, is that once I tried HQPlayer, there WAS a big difference. That was amazing to hear. Fuller, clearer, richer, more depth. I loved that discovery.

Anyway, it’s an amusing journey.

Christopher, Yes ‘audio memory’ and the ability to perform quick A/B at the same pressure (db) levels can a challenge. Some time its seems obvious and no A/B needed, other occasions can be more subtle and require deeper listening with good memory intact !

Modern USB implementation is becoming very good and maybe the future standard and better DACs seem to clean the USB signal these days. Feel sure the Matrix would make a difference with SPIDF.

Might give HQPlayer a look!

Thank you for the feed back.

If you were a vulnerable millennial you wouldn’t have been able to type your response through the tears! However in the interest of international relations I formally withdraw the aforementioned remark. Consider it struck from the record! :innocent:

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International relations, we are both in England, sounds like a wet excuse for a man with no second.
You are forgiven.

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I will shuffle off and hide myself in a dark corner!

I LOVE Magnepans. I had a pair of 3.5s for a bit over 10 years. My Magico Q5s are better in most ways, but Maggies have a special magic. I still miss some of the things that they did. If I had the space and the funds, I’d have another room with the MG 30s… oh well…

PS what I DON’t miss is having to change the bloody ribbon tweeter nearly once a year. A sudden gust of air could snap it…

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Listening to a little Royal Scam on the Maggies this morning. Or afternoon. Hell, who knows anymore?

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